Bottom Line: Being active single-coils, this set of EMG SAVX adds a lot of expressive qualities and high-ends in there. But things are nicely balanced with two other pickups, Emerald and Silver, making this particular combo very potent and versatile. Of course, this kind of a pickup design may make it sound a little different compared to regular humbuckers that were used to. My Review: But among all of Fenders pickups, the company is especially proud of their Noiseless single-coils. A major breakthrough, not only for Fender but for the entire world of music, came with the almighty Stratocaster. And although we have pronounced and very clear high-ends, these pickups arent that chimey and thin with their output. Bottom Line: With all the vintage features, these pickups bring out the qualities of those Fender Stratocaster guitars made back in the 1950s. Utilizing these traits and your instruments controls, you get a lot of options to shape your sonic output. However, theres a lot more great stuff in their arsenal thats not intended for harsh-sounding metal riffing and soloing. Another very popular combination of pickups for Fenders or any other Stratocasters is the humbucker-single-single one. Of course, as youd expect from a guitarist like Eric Johnson, these are mostly vintage-oriented and have that overall feel of some old school Strats. Sure, theyre not that cheap when you check out the price tag, but you cant ever go wrong with these. These can be easily adjusted for both the distance from the guitars nut, as well as their height. And if you want some pretty unconventional Stratocasters, then you can always go with a triple-humbucker combination. However, here we have something a little bit different. Home Guitars 25 Best Strat Pickups in 2022 (All Price Ranges). Being completely flat and featuring no staggered poles, they are super useful for guitars that feature flatter fretboard radius. But one downside that comes with Fender Stratocasters and adding in new pickups is that you need to make room for a humbucker by cutting the pickguard. However, more wounds on the bridge pickup add some boost for this position, making it useful for hard rock music as well. Bottom Line: These are pretty similar to classic stock pickups on Fender Strat guitars. Compared to the classic 1950s Fender Stratocaster tones, these are a little smoother and not as sharp and bright. In addition, you can also buy the companys pickups, some of which could be perfect for your Stratocaster guitar. Wed say that these pickups are worth it, especially due to the price which is slightly lower since Milisten is not as famous compared to some other brands. Bottom Line: This set is Seymour Duncans twist on Fenders classic 1950s single-coil pickups. You can just cut out a larger hole in the plastic pickguard or even buy a new one that fits your needs. And despite the reduction of that constant and annoying hum that comes with single-coil pickups, the EMGs SX set will still deliver all the main qualities and characteristics that we love. Best Strat Pickups for Blues and Classic Rock Comparison Table, Best Strat Pickups for Blues and Classic Rock Review, 1. The Purple Sensor strongly stands out here. Seymour Duncan Billy Gibbons Signature Red Devil Set (Best Mini Humbucker), 11. What color are the included covers?The covers are white. Even some of the famous guitar heroes prefer to go with Hot Rails as it makes things much more practical and aesthetically pleasing. Bottom Line: Three dual-coil pickups that are the size of regular single-coils are not that common and will make you sound unique. The guitar came with three single-coil pickups, allowing players to have five different combinations, providing them with quite a versatile palette of tones. First off, we had a double-cutaway body design with uneven yet very stylish horns. Its tough to decide between the Seymour Duncan Custom Staggered SSL-5 Pickup for Strat and the Seymour Duncan SSL1 Vintage Staggered Single Coil Pickup. When replicating the classic rock tone, theres authenticity, and theres balance. If youre looking for something vintage-oriented that can still deliver an awesome modern-oriented tone, wed recommend you check out Fenders Original 57/62 pickup set. There is, however, a slight difference in tone compared to regular humbuckers, although this can make your Strat sound very unique. Pickups are small and easy to change and they dont have to be expensive. I was born and raised in Western Pennsylvania. My Review: If were talking about Stratocasters and single-coil pickups, Fender Texas Specials have to be in the discussion. The slightly boosted bottom end gives a lot of maneuverability in terms of playing some tighter-sounding stuff. If youre not exactly up for the 1950s, then you can always go with the 1960s and have those kinds of tones in there. You can always go with the standard formation, but you can also do what you want in order to achieve your desired tone. Additionally, the ML pickups come with staggered pole pieces, which gives out those vintage-oriented vibes in there as well. The SSL-5 also yields a higher sustain and packs enough punch to stand out in any mix. We also have a very nice balance with a solid influx of the bottom ends as well as mids in there. The SSL-1s sounds great in any position and can be used in almost every genre. This electrical signal can then be sent through an amplifier to be reconverted into sound. And, just like many virtuoso players, Johnson is well-known for his use of Fender Stratocasters and even has his amazing line of signature Strats with the company. They can even be considered a slight upgrade (if you compromise on authenticity) due to the reverse-wound middle pickup. Sure, you might have found one that sounds perfect, but youll still wonder how other pickups sound and how they compare to yours. And, of course, there are even versions with three humbucker pickups, giving a rather unusual twist to this instrument. Special degaussed Alnico 2 magnets soften the treble just a bit and keep the high notes under control. What makes the combo so unique are some quite bright and twangy tones. Naturally, it can be hard to know where to begin when faced with so many options. These Lindy Fralin pickups combine the old and new offering a sparkling, twangy sound while balancing it with meatier mids. Most pickups on this list use Alnico V magnets, but thats not the case with this DiMarzio. Nonetheless, their performance qualities shine in other settings as well. Reproduction of any part of this website without direct permission is prohibited. I am a music fan who is fond of different instruments and genres. However, these are three smaller-sized humbuckers, accompanied by one volume and two tone control pots. Although not getting that close to some stuff that we already mentioned here, the Wilkinson Lic White ST pickups truly do a great job for their price. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Additionally, we also get a lot less noise with the RA-2 pickups, all while keeping the vintage tone qualities that we all love. You might need to remove the pickup to find these markings and even then its not positive theyll be there. Seymour Duncan Custom Staggered SSL-5 Pickup for Strat The Best Single Coil Pickup for Blues, 4. The V60 set is specially voiced to replicate the sonic qualities of what we could hear on those legendary Fender Stratocasters from the 1960s. My Review: It would take us a lot of time to fully explain the greatness of Fender guitars and Fender pickups. Pickup specifications modified and theres not enough documentation regarding older pickups and their corresponding guitars. My Review: We already mentioned one Lace Sensor model here. And theyre especially interesting with the vintage-oriented stuff. It can be said that blues and classic rock were the most popular genres of the 20th century. In order to share the story, we first need to go way back to the early 1950s. Although not as nearly as common as those triple-single or HSS combinations, you can also find Strats with the humbucker-single-humbucker formation of pickups. There are two pretty interesting things when it comes to the SSL-4 pickup. Bottom Line: Bearing standard Alnico V magnets, staggered pole pieces, and relatively lower output, theyre great for blues and jazz music. Of course, theres also the standard 5-way switch in there. Almost all of the companys Strat models come with this particular combo. After all, the company is known for making some of the most expressive pickups, and thats exactly what many Strat players truly love to have. These hotter single-coil pickups are rather interesting, since they manage to keep the clarity and brightness, and yet they can work well for some heavier-sounding settings. If you are looking for replacements and you would like to get a sound similar to Stevie Ray Vaughan, Bonnie Raitt, or Johnny Winter then these Blues Stratocaster pickups are recommended. Overall, I would say the Fender Texas Specials are the best Strat pickups for blues and they work well for many other musical styles as well. They achieve the classic Stratocaster sound while handling high gains and having a smooth bell curve. Lace 21073-01 Sensor Gold Electric Guitar Electronics, 6. Theyre great for some modern crystal clear tones. However, its worth a shot if the other techniques dont work.By ohm readings: Some charts match ohm readings to specific pickups. Although its common for Telecasters and some other guitars, there are Strats with two single-coil pickups to be found. But while most pickups these days feature Alnico V magnets, here we have Alnico II, Alnico III, and Alnico V combination. Sure, its not as big or a brand compared to other stuff that were detailing here, but this prewired pickguard with a full set is well worth the price. I started this website with some of my friends who are musicians, music teachers, gear heads, and music enthusiasts so we could provide high-quality guitar and music-related content. Of course, theyre also useful for other genres, but just bear in mind that these are their strongest territories. And aside from maple fretboards, there are Fender Strat models with rosewood, Pau Ferro, and ebony ones. A set of three single-coils with a prewired pickguard and standard Strat controls, A set of three humbuckers in a single-coil size and design, A set of three single-coils with a pre-wired pickguard and standard Strat controls, A set featuring one humbucker and two single-coils and a pre-wired pickguard with modified Strat controls, A set of three single-coils with a pre-wired, A set of three hot rails pickups with a pre-wired pickguard and standard Strat controls. Bottom Line: Fenders Yosemite set is a pretty balanced and versatile one. StereoShore.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. Nonetheless, even the triple Hot Rails combo comes with a standard 5-way pickup selector switch, giving you a lot of options to create different tones. In order to muffle the tone a bit, you can always use the instruments tone pots. Even though the price alone is enough reason to justify the purchase of a Seymour Duncan pickup, get it for the warm, vintage tone it produces. This essentially brings a triple-humbucker formation in a more practical package. Of course, a Hot Rail pickup can be placed in any of the Stratocasters three positions. This is especially useful for the musicians who play country music and old school rock n roll. This is all accompanied by pretty well-done shielding, which results in a noticeably reduced noise. These are especially useful if you have some of those old school-inspired tube-driven amps and want to have that extra harmonically rich content in there. more, The Seymour Duncan SSL-5 Custom Staggered Single-Coil Pickup, as the name suggests, is a high output single coil pickup designed to be perfect for Texas Blues, Rock, and even some Heavy Rock. My Review: Theres a lot of exciting stuff in Seymour Duncans collection of pickups, so its pretty hard not to include yet another one of their Stratocaster sets. The tone is mostly vintage-oriented, but they do a pretty great job for other settings as well. Hot, but not too aggressive, with plenty of chime and sparkle. Theyre very useful if you want to upgrade a cheaper Strat, like those made by Squier. Popular Related Articles: The Most Incredible Fender Statocaster Guitar Models Available. There are a plethora of different Stratocaster pickups on the market these days. As the name suggests the Fender Texas Special Strat guitar pickups are designed to give you that Texas Blues sound. The Seymour Duncan SSL-5 is a staple in blues, classic, and hard rock. Its a pretty great choice for the fans of this kind of tone, especially if youre into old school blues and rock n roll. With this said, they are very bright and punchy, making them perfect for surf rock, rockabilly, old school rock n roll, and old school blues music. And despite the technological advancement over the years, many guitar players still prefer this particular configuration. Do these come with the wiring required to connect the pickups to the pots? They are reissues of the original 1969 Stratocaster pickups and therefore are not stacked. Along with other of its features, they bring the best of vintage and modern-oriented stuff into one fully diverse package. Theyre especially useful if you favor an overall balanced performance between all the positions and all the strings.